Page 64 of The Wrong Sister

“I’ll remember for next time.” Griffin sits down on the couch, bringing me down into his lap and I curl up against him.

“You know I don’t think you’re boring, right?” A peek at his face reveals a vulnerability that makes me want to hold him close and protect his surprisingly soft heart. “I love that you’re dependable and structured and principled. You are the absolute best man there is. But you’re also really fucking fun! There’s nothing boring about being with you, Griffin.” I can’t help myself, I press my lips to his small, sweet smile. “Even if you end up regretting the chaos I inevitably bring with me.”

“Doyouknow that I like the roughest, unpolished, most raw parts of you? I don’t just tolerate them, Mina. I. Like. Them.” I don’t know if I’ve projected all of my insecurities that clearly or if it’s that he truly sees me, but that stupid lump in my throat is threatening to choke me. “And I know now I could never be happy with safe and comfortable. Someone incredibly smart once asked me: ‘Who the fuck wants safe and comfortable and easy anyway?’Not me, that’s for sure.” I bury my face in his chest, my blushing so intense it feels like my cheeks are sunburned. “Have you thought about us getting married?”

“Slow your roll, Simms! We barely survived a very botched first profession of love! Maybe we should wait a while before we start planning a wedding!”

“I wasn’t proposing, Mina. Merely wondering if you’ve thought about it.”

With anyone else I’d be embarrassed that I misinterpreted things; probably cover that feeling up by yelling or getting pissed off. Instead, it makes me smile. That’s such a Griffin thing to say.

“Well, sure! I used to write Mina Simms all over my diary! I don’t care about the wedding part. We could simply sign the papers for all I care. But we’d live here in Kaka‘ako for a while, working and enjoying being young and carefree—eating too many fries and hiking and helping kids. And clearly, we’d need to have lots of sex. Then we’d get a place on the windward side and have dark-haired, grey-eyed babies that run wild on the mountains and surf.” He’s staring at me. I tamp down on my initial reaction of fear and panic. Like he said, he deserves more. “Haveyouthought about it?”

He pauses a moment more, running his fingers up and down my back. “That all sounds about right. Glad we’re on the same page. Although I do care about the wedding part. I want to see you in the white dress with our parents all crying. Maybe a wedding would get both your brothers back on island at the same time. We can talk about it later, after we decide which of our apartments we’re going to share. I don’t want to be without you anymore, not even while we’re sleeping. For now, I think we should get started on thelots of sexpart of your plan.”

“Alpha Griffin is such a fucking turn-on,” I tell him as I pull off his shirt. “You be in control.”

“You’re awfully bossy for someone who says she wants me in control.” I pout and he nips at my bottom lip with his teeth. “I love you, Mina. Now get your ass to the bedroom. You have one minute and if you’re not ready for me there will be consequences.”

I jump up and run. I really fucking love him.

39

griffin

2 months later

I left Mina a surprise this morning. I had to run out early, to meet Lance to pick up the t-shirts, so it’s on her bedside. I almost wish I was going to be there to hear her reaction, but I think finding it alone will have a greater impact. I’m sure it makes me a terrible person—I love messing with her. It’s her fault. She started messing with me first. I’m simply following her lead. She’s too fucking adorable when she’s all fired up. It took quite a bit of planning to get everything in place to have this happen before the fundraiser.

The ring was the biggest issue. I lost countless lunch hours visiting every jewelry store on island, trying to find what I was envisioning and coming up empty. In the end, Rafferty put me in touch with someone he knows who is a legit gemologist. Raff drew up some sketches for me and the guy made exactly what I wanted. This thing is incredible: an oval, bezel-set center diamond in a lattice setting that is reminiscent of a vintage mirror with a halo of round diamonds around the outside of the lattice. It’s beautiful, unique, and a little bit badass, exactly like my Mina. We said we don’t need to get married anytime soon and that’s certainly true, but now that we’ve had the discussion and agreed, why wait to have that visual reminder of our intentions? I doubt anyone could call me a romantic, so a big proposal didn’t feel right. Mina getting all hot under the collar, laying into me, and then us ending up naked? That’s very on-brand. That’s what I want, forever.

The t-shirts are in the trunk and we’ll need to leave for the windward side soon. I stop at a florist on the way back, getting a few stems of Hawaiian pink ginger. The tall, vibrant blooms remind me of Mina: strong and bold. Plus, you know, I don’t want her to betoopissed at me. I’ve barely stepped in the door and she’s charging down the hallway at me. Her dark hair is flying behind her, her nostrils flaring, a velvet ring box in one hand and the note clutched in the other.

“Are you fucking kidding me with this, Griffin?” She waves the yellow sticky note in my face. “Is this a joke?” I shake my head, trying not to crack a smile. “A fucking sticky note?As per our previous discussion, Griff?”

“Right.” I keep my face placid. “We talked about it, remember? You in a white dress, family tears, lots of sex, eventual babies…I didn’t think you were on enough pain meds to forget it completely. Did you look at it?”

“It’s not about the ring! It’s only the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen in my life! It’s like it was specifically designed for me!”

“It was,” I reply, still the picture of calm.

“Oh.” She opens the box and studies the ring again. “You had this made? For me?”

“Raff sketched it up for me first, then yes.”

“So…you planned this? This wasn’t a Saturday morning whim?”

“Am I whim sort of a guy, Mina?”

She shakes her head, sliding the ring on her left ring finger, holding her hand up while staring. I take the empty box and hand her the flowers. She tips her chin up towards me, those stormy-sea-colored eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Don’t you make me cry.”

“Would this be a good time to yell at you to calm down?”

She laughs, sniffling, and then her eyes get wide. “You bastard, you did this on purpose, didn’t you?” I put my hands out, feigning innocence. “You did! You wrote this note and left it here just to piss me off!”

I quiet her with a long, lingering kiss. “You know I think you’re hot when you’re mad at me.”

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